Patients hospitalized with alcohol-related liver disease and prior bariatric surgery are more prone to develop acute-on-chronic liver failure

Abstract

Background & Aims: Patients with a history of bariatric surgery (BS) are susceptible to developing alcohol use disorder. We and others have previously shown that these patients can develop severe alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD). Our aim was to describe the demographics, co-morbidities and mortality of a hospitalized population diagnosed with alcohol-related liver disease, in relation to BS. Methods: We included 299 patients hospitalized with ARLD at the Ghent University Hospital between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022. Clinical, biochemical and outcome data were retrospectively retrieved from the most recent hospitalization. Statistical analysis was performed using the t test, Mann–Whitney U and χ2 tests. Results: Thirteen per cent (39/299) of patients admitted with ARLD had a history of bariatric surgery, of whom 25 (64.1%) had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Patients with a history of BS were predominantly female (76.9%), in contrast to the non-BS population (29.2%) (p